The world’s largest manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), will build a battery factory for electric vehicles in Spain, valued at €4 billion, in a joint project with the automotive manufacturer Stellantis.
According to the “Financial Times” this Monday, the project will require the sending of about 2,000 workers to Spain to construct the new factory.
The new battery production unit of CATL will be located near Zaragoza, next to Stellantis’s factory, which produces Opel, Peugeot, and Lancia vehicles.
According to the British economic publication, CATL has committed to recruiting and training about 3,000 Spanish workers to operate the factory after the construction is completed, expected by the end of 2026, but analysts and unions warn of the company’s reluctance to share technology and knowledge.
The Spanish investment in Chinese technology comes after the collapse in March of this year of the Swedish company Northvolt, which was seen as Europe’s best hope to compete in a sector dominated by Chinese manufacturers.
In addition to CATL, other companies from China are expanding their presence in Europe, such as AESC Envision, which is preparing a unit in Spain, and Gotion, in partnership with VW, which is advancing with factories in Germany and Valencia.
For its part, the Chinese company China Aviation Lithium Battery (CALB) also announced an investment of two billion euros to build a battery factory in Sines, Portugal, which is expected to be operational in 2028, and which will be the main supplier for the new factory of Changan to be installed in Spain.
